Mike Shroyer/SPPSInstructor John Boyer stands on the stage of Burruss Auditorium and surveys the crowd. World Regions, a perennial favorite, has sold out Burruss.
According to Boyer's syllabus, World Regions wants "to acquaint undergraduate students with a variety of geographic, historic, environmental, demographic, religions and economic characteristics of various areas of the world." Boyer also wants students to know what is going on in today's world, "Our country is bizarre," said Boyer. "And sometimes we forget what's going on in other parts of the world. There's a bigger picture in the world, and many students aren't aware because there isn't a huge focus on foreign affairs."
When this class originated, it began small with only about 20 or 30 students, and slowly evolved into a 600-person class taught in McBryde 100. In the last 3 or 4 years, there has been a 2,000-3,000 wait-list, not including the 600 students already admitted to take the class, Boyer said. On the first day of class, Boyer told his assembled students that many professors were skeptical about the class. "That it would be impossible to learn in this type of setting," Boyer said. "Apparently size matters."
To accommodate so many students, Boyer did not have many choices. Burruss Auditorium is booked for various events during the school year, and it was decided that Monday was the most available night for the class. Professors do not get any preference over the use of the auditorium, and must schedule the room on a regular basis like any other performer or group.
While the huge difference between this class and Boyer's previous classes is size, not much else will really change. The content will not be any different. But because of the class size, Boyer and his assistants have worked on interactive online office hours. This has never been used before with other World Regions classes. Using a web cam in their apartment or residence, students can interactively chat, ask questions and watch Boyer answer everything in real time.
Senior geography major Bret Taylor had many reasons for taking World Regions.
"I hear that Boyers is one of the best," Taylor said. "Not just because he's fun, but also the most knowledgeable about the material."
Throughout the 4-hour class there were ninjas, a U.N. officer, Russian brothers, Japanese and Chinese people sitting throughout the crowd interjecting throughout the class. "I don't know who those ninjas were," Boyer said. "But I always have a squad of ninjas following me."
After leaving the first night class, many students were impressed, including junior math major Mark McKinley.
"This class was unlike any other class I have had at Virginia Tech," said McKinley. "It was very interesting, and a different teaching style."
Boyer was shell-shocked after the first night class.
"It was a good sign that students came back after the break to the second part of class," Boyer said. "I was pleasantly surprised and we did what other people said we couldn't."
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